


Shadow's Wing

by Im_The_Doctor (Bofur1)



Category: Transformers: Prime
Genre: Angst and Romance, Canonical Character Death, Cybertron War, F/M, First Meetings, Unhappy Ending, Unrequited Love, Wistful, Younger man/older woman
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-05-12
Updated: 2014-05-12
Packaged: 2018-01-24 11:29:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 999
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1603535
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bofur1/pseuds/Im_The_Doctor
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Bumblebee found himself legitimately enraged when he saw Arcee pick up Cliffjumper’s broken horn lying in the ravine. How dare those Decepticons—those winged, high and mighty glitches—take another of Cee’s partners?! She’d had her spark dimmed, then relit, now dimmed again...</p><p>(I like to call this ship "Bumblecee", and I ship it good and hard. Thanks for indulging my fantasies!)</p>
            </blockquote>





	Shadow's Wing

Bumblebee met her when he was very young, just before one of his first scouting missions. Well, it hadn’t really been a ‘meeting’. He had bumped into her and she, being far shorter than him, had gotten her shoulder-plate hooked onto his hip-plate. _That_ was embarrassing enough, but the way he’d struggled fruitlessly like the raw, nervous recruit he was, that was even worse. Then she had effortlessly shoved him off and walked away before he could apologize.

No wonder his name was _Bumble_ bee, he thought bitterly.

Later he found out her name was Arcee. For some reason Bumblebee decided to file that information away into a special part of his processor, a part previously reserved only for Fascia...Bumblebee closed his eyes against the memory of Fas, _his_ Fas, with the green smoke of tox-en darkening her blind white optics.

Arcee was like her in many ways, Bumblebee mused thoughtfully as he watched her work, leaning over one of the many computer screens. She was stern and foreboding (even if she was a two-wheeler), completely focused on the cause.

Bumblebee soon found out that Arcee needed a partner. He was about to volunteer when a Bot named Tailgate strode up with a smile. Arcee returned it immediately, slipping her hand into his with the ease of good friends—or perhaps something more?

So...Arcee wasn’t _completely_ focused. Bumblebee tried to be glad for her. In these hard days, it was very rare to have a Bot who was a romantic interest (or who was still alive). Instead his attempts only brought back painful memories of his lost love and he tried to forget about everything.

He didn’t have to try very hard for very long, as Bumblebee was soon captured by the enemy forces at Tiger Pax. The days that followed brought the realization to Bumblebee that he probably would never find love again. Not with Arcee, not with anyone. Even if Fascia had lived, he probably wouldn’t be able to face her—not with the traumatic and shameful loss of his voice.

Arcee’s partner Tailgate approached him at one stage of the aftermath, the stage where everyone was casting their judgmental glances on him for his flat, droning buzz-speech.

“Hey, Bee,” he ventured. Bumblebee barely looked at him. His past bitterness about the foregone partnership with Arcee wound itself around his anger and depression at losing his voice, giving him an excuse to ignore Tailgate.

Tailgate wouldn’t be so easily ignored. “I can’t say I know what it’s like for you and it’s probably none of my business,” he sighed softly. “But I want you to know that if there’s anything I can do to help you, all you have to do is ask.”

Bumblebee glared at him heatedly, snapping “ **You’re right. It _is_ probably none of your business**!” He hoped Tailgate would feel insulted, get angry, just so he could have someone to shout at.

All Tailgate did was nod sadly and turn his back, which made Bee feel worse. The climax of his hard feelings came when Arcee and Tailgate were captured by a Decepticon called Airachnid, who was known for her ruthlessness in torturing out information. Bumblebee panicked, struggling with flashbacks of Fascia and praying to Primus that Arcee wasn’t suffering anything like that.

When Bumblebee managed to clear his head and set out to rescue her, he found she was suffering far worse. As soon as he burst into the cell where Cee was being kept, Bumblebee saw the limp body of Tailgate and the dried energon splattered on his chest-plates, the wall, the floor...

“I couldn’t save him,” Arcee sobbed out breathlessly as Bumblebee practically picked her up and carried her out the door. “I couldn’t save my partner!”

And Bumblebee couldn’t console her. He tried once, but she simply withdrew into herself, cold and silent, blocking off any who attempted to touch her—physically or emotionally.

As soon as he heard the drawled words “Name’s Cliffjumper” and saw the proudly-horned Bot who looked astonishingly like Tailgate, Bumblebee wondered if that would change. Even as his promised position as Arcee’s partner slipped away again, Bumblebee couldn’t help but feel some relief. Cliffjumper would probably be able to set Arcee to rights.

Bumblebee didn’t find out if his hope had been fulfilled until much later; he left Cybertron long before Arcee and Cliff to join Optimus Prime, whom he had always considered something of an idol. When Arcee and Cliffjumper arrived on Earth, Bumblebee buzzed a hesitant greeting. Arcee didn’t seem to recognize him—in fact, she barely looked at him. She was too busy looking Cliffjumper up and down with a strangely intent expression.

 _Nudged aside again..._ Bumblebee’s thought was brief. He’d gone through this once before and he could do it again. Besides, how could he have expected otherwise when he and Arcee had been worlds apart? Any sane Bot would set their eyes on the Bot standing next to them.

Cliffjumper came to be a close friend to Bumblebee. He brought up the subject of Bee’s voice box soon after they were introduced and Bumblebee had not made the same mistake he had with Tailgate. Instead he accepted Cliffjumper’s offer of support and enjoyed his company...

Up until the day he died. Bumblebee found himself legitimately enraged when he saw Arcee pick up Cliffjumper’s broken horn lying in the ravine. How dare those Decepticons—those winged, high and mighty _glitches_ —take another of Cee’s partners?! She’d had her spark dimmed, then relit, now dimmed again.

This is why Bumblebee never speaks up. He feeds his need for love with sweet memories of Fascia, even though the memorable warmth of their dawn together always ends with the cold image of her dwindling spark. He dare not risk letting Arcee down the same way, dare not risk loving her in case circumstances turn for the worst.

It doesn’t matter what world they’re on. The darkness, the shadows will always fly overhead.


End file.
